Short stories from coastal regions of Turkey

HDN | 7/19/2010 12:00:00 AM |

Several short stotries from İzmir, Antalya, Mersin, Aydın,Bodrum and Alanya...

Archaeological excavations begin at ancient Lycian site

A team Turkish of archaeology scholars, students and professionals has started digging for the second portion of summer excavations in the ancient Lycian city of Patara near the modern town of Gelemiş in the southern province of Antalya. The head of the excavation team, Professor Havva İşkan Işık from Akdeniz University's Department of Archaeology, said this year's excavation effort mainly aimed at restoring the main street of Patara. Our goal is to revive those glorious days of the city's main street," she said. ANTALYA – Anatolia News Agency

Blue-flagged beach polluted by garbage

Because of garbage thrown into the sea, the blue-flagged beach Kleopatra in Antalya’s Alanya district offered an irritating and confusing scene Wednesday. Officials are searching for the boat responsible for the environmental degradation. The suspicion is so far that waste such as nylon bags, band-aids, orange peels and napkins were thrown from a daily cruise boat. Vacationers describe the situation as a disgrace and many of them decided not to swim that day. Alanya municipal employees gathered information, took photos of the pollution and also samples from the sea. ALANYA – Doğan News Agency

Ice service for tourists

In southwestern province of Muğla’s Bodrum district, hotels have started to serve ice to cool down the tourists. From the beginning of last week the temperature was 40 degrees Celsius and the sea temperature was 22 degrees. In Royal Asarlık Beach Hotel Gümbet, kilos of ice are served to the tourists who came from London. An English group of nurses and university students used the ice to cool themselves. Claire Hoodwook, 23, who came to Bodrum for holiday said, “Bodrum is a unique holiday place for me and my friends. Because of the heat we ordered ice from hotel staff and tried to cool down. This place has a really great holiday atmosphere. We’re having fun 24 hours a day and will be here next year too.” BODRUM- Doğan News Agency

Double party on the same night

A five star hotel in Kemer, Antalya organized a “White Party” and a “Motorcycle Party” on the same night. Both employees and guests wore whites on the night, which started with motorcyclists entering the disco. It was an opportunity for both the staff and guests to relax and have fun. The party did not end until the early hours of the morning. General Manager of the hotel, Ülkay Atmaca said they were very happy with their occupancy rate this year and would create several unique entertainment opportunities to increase customer satisfaction. ANTALYA - Doğan News Agency

Fire in Bodrum’s grassland and shrubbery

A fire burned grasslands and shrubbery in the Kocataş neighborhood of Bitez, in Bodrum, in the southwestern provinve of Muğla on Wednesday. The cause of the fire remains unknown. The fire, which burned close to residential areas and holiday resorts, was extinguished through the collaborative effort of firefighter squads from the neighboring boroughs. The fire started Wednesday at around 7:45 a.m., was fanned by the wind and damaged an area of approximately half a hectare. BODRUM – Anatolia news agency

Didim sea bus rides to Kos Island start

In the southwestern city of Aydın’s Didim district, sea bus rides started last Wednesday from Altınkum Custom Building to Greece’s Kos Island. A total of 117 passengers boarded the luxury ferry “Aegean Cat” belonging to the Yeşil Marmaris company. The ferry has air conditioning, 350-passenger capacity, television, video and entertainment center. The Didim officer of the company, Bora Beyazıt said, “The rides will be on Wednesdays. It takes 50 minutes. The rides from Kos will start at 5 p.m. All passengers are insured by the U.K. insurance agency Ship Owners Club.” The Aegean Cat is reported to be the biggest and fastest ferry with daily rides from Turkey to the Greek Islands. AYDIN - Doğan News Agency

Cheap vacation with tents in Erdemli

Tent campers at the Çadırlı Camp in Mersin’s Erdemli district can enjoy a cheap vacation. The camp is located in Kocahasanlı, famous for its seashore, and charges a daily price of 20 Turkish Liras for tents and 15 liras for the camping space for those who bring their own tents. Retiree Aysel Karapınar has chosen this venue since her pension did not allow her another vacation with her grandchildren: “We had to get a bank credit for our vacation. We cannot afford to stay in hotels or motels. These are the living conditions of a typical pensioner.” MERSİN - Doğan News Agency

Cool summer pleases tourists in Antalya

Tourists are pleased that Antalya is having a cooler summer compared to recent years. The temperature is normal for the season and the wind at 12 km/h has eased the otherwise annoying effects of humidity. According to meteorology records, temperatures have hit 44.7 degrees Celsius in past months of July. This year in July, the temperature has rarely hit 40 degrees. Tourists are enjoying the cool summer in the water parks and beaches. Local Antalya people delayed going to the highlands – as they usually do in July-August – because of the cool summer. As people don’t need to turn on their air conditioners, there have been no blackouts. ANTALYA - Doğan News Agency

Activist swims, carrying freshwater for trees

Psychiatrist and environmental activist Dr. Hüsnü Uçar lives in Izmir, and swims to Küçük Island, located 1 mile outside the Karaburun district of Izmir, carrying plastic cans filled with freshwater for the trees on the island. “Especially in the summer, since there is almost no rain, I try my best to keep these trees alive. As people who love Karaburun, we want to keep this place green and lush rather than empty and arid. Once we get the necessary permissions, we want to set up a small pond.” İZMİR - Anatolia news agency